Major Hurricane – Weather 360

Hurricane Dorian: What You Need to Know

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019Posted in Major Storm, summer, Tropical Cyclones, Weather 360Tagged Atlantic Hurricane Season, Catastrophe, Dangerous conditions, flooding, Florida, Georgia, High Winds, Hurricane, Hurricane Dorian, hurricane season, Hurricane Warnings, Hurricane Watches, Major Hurricane, nhc, North Carolina, Potential for Significant Damage, South Carolina, Storm SurgeLeave a comment

Category 4 Major Hurricane Dorian is barreling towards the US East Coast. The storm, which has rapidly intensified over the past several hours, is expected to reach the Bahamas by Sunday afternoon.

What you need to know:

The Saffir-Simpson Scale:
Category 5: 157+ mph - Catastrophic Damage
Category 4: 130-156 mph - Catastrophic Damage
Category 3: 111 - 129 mph - Devastating Damage
Category 2: 96 - 110 mph - Extensive Damage
Category 1: 74 - 95 mph - Some Damage

As of the evening of August 30, 2019, Hurricane Dorian is a category 4 major hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph and a central pressure of 950 millibars.

The current National Hurricane Center forecast cone keeps Florida in the cross-hairs. This afternoon, computer model guidance shifted the projected storm path eastward, placing locations from Miami to as far north as South Carolina under the threat of winds well in excess of 100 mph, excessive rainfall, and significant storm surge.

NHC Hurricane Dorian.png — The National Hurricane Center’s official track guidance as of 8 PM EDT on August 30, 2019. Hurricane Warnings (red) and Hurricane Watches (pink) have been issued for the Bahamas. This graphic depicts the potential storm center paths – not the potential extent of storm impacts.

The 8 PM EDT update from the National Hurricane Center has a category 4 storm making landfall near Port Saint Lucie, Florida. While there continues to exist uncertainty in the track of this storm, should this occur, storm surge well in excess of 7-11+ feet is possible on the coast of central eastern Florida, with top sustained winds potentially exceeding 130 – 140 mph in a radius reaching tens of miles from the center of the storm.

Who in the United States mainland will bear the brunt of this storm is still unknown. The storm will make a turn northward as it is picked up by a ridge of high pressure situated over the western Atlantic. When this storm makes its turn northward is still uncertain.

It is vital that everyone on the US East Coast from Miami to South Carolina – and even further north – be prepared to act quickly ahead of this storm.

Please prepare now and stay updated on local guidance and evacuation information from the National Hurricane Center (nhc.noaa.gov), the National Weather Service (weather.gov), and your local emergency management office.

Weather360 will continue to keep you updated on the progress of this storm both here and on our Facebook page.

Be prepared and stay safe!

Massive Hurricane Florence to Slam the Carolinas

September 12, 2018Posted in Major Storm, Tropical Cyclones, Weather 360Tagged Category 3, Category 4 Hurricane, Hurricane, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Preparedness, Hurricane Warnings, Hurricane Watches, Major Hurricane, NAM, North Carolina, South CarolinaLeave a comment

Hurricane Florence, now a major category 3 hurricane with winds in excess of 115 mph, is expected to restrengthen as it makes its way towards the coast. Storm Surge and Hurricane Warnings are in effect from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to the northern Outer Banks in North Carolina, with Hurricane Watches extending as far south as Charleston.

Florence NHC Track 09 12 18.png — Official NHC track and wind field assessment as of 8:00 PM ET on September 12, 2018.

Although the effects of Hurricane Florence will begin to impact the Carolinas starting tomorrow afternoon, strong winds and heavy rain will continue to lash the region until the end of the weekend due to the storm’s unusual path.

Florence NAM 3KM Future Radar 09 12 18.png — This is the 18z 9/12/18 run of the NAM 3km computer model depicting an extremely intense Hurricane Florence approaching the Wilmington, NC area.

For the past several days, computer model guidance has shifted to suggesting that Hurricane Florence will begin to slow down and proceed to parallel the coastline come Friday evening. The storm’s unusual path will force extremely dangerous winds and storm surge across a swath of land extending from the Outer Banks to South Carolina, placing millions under the threat of life-threatening conditions. Unfortunately, these conditions will only be compounded and exacerbated by the upwards of 3 feet of rain forecasted to fall in some areas.

The National Hurricane Center is forecasting winds to exceed 120 mph upon Hurricane Florence’s arrival near the coastline, with a storm surge exceeding 9-13 feet in some locations, making this storm extremely dangerous for those in its path.

If you have been ordered or asked to evacuate, please heed these orders immediately before it becomes too late to do so. All preparations for this storm should be completed immediately.

For more information, please consult the National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov or your local emergency management office.

Less Than Two Weeks After Irma, Maria Promises to Slam Caribbean as Monster Category 5

September 18, 2017Posted in Major Storm, Tropical CyclonesTagged Catastrophe, category 5 hurricane, Hurricane, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose, Hurricane Maria, hurricane season, Hurricane Season 2017, Major Hurricane, Puerto Rico, Unprecedented catastrophic obliteration, Virgin IslandsLeave a comment

Hurricane Maria has intensified from a category 1 to a monster category 5 hurricane in under 48 hours. The now 160 mph storm is expected to strengthen further as it makes its first landfall in the eastern Caribbean before making a direct hit on the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Maria possesses winds equivalent to that of an EF 3 to EF 4 tornado and is moving at less than 10 mph, meaning the worst of its winds will bear down on the same locations for up to 6 hours at a time (keep in mind that a tornado typically spends around 30 seconds to 2 minutes affecting one single location). The National Hurricane Center forecasts Hurricane Maria to make landfall in southeastern Puerto Rico as a category 5 storm with sustained winds of 160 mph. The already devastated US and British Virgin Islands can expect extreme winds and rain as well as storm surge over the next 48 hours. This will cause catastrophic damage across Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic as well.

Hurricane Maria.png — The National Hurricane Center’s cone of uncertainty regarding Maria’s potential track, the storm is also expected to expand as it approaches Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Following its landfall in Puerto Rico, Maria is expected to track into the eastern Bahamas as a category 3 or 4 storm as it continues to move northwestward, potentially impacting the US East Coast over the next week and a half. For further information, please consult the National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov and the National Weather Service at http://www.weather.gov.

Harvey to Make Landfall in Texas as Major Hurricane

August 24, 2017August 25, 2017Posted in Major Storm, Tropical CyclonesTagged Catastrophe, Category 1, Category 3, Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Warning, Louisiana, Major Hurricane, Massive Damage, Storm Surge Warning, TexasLeave a comment

Tropical Storm Harvey is now expected to be the first major hurricane to make landfall in The United States in over 12 years. Up to 24+ inches of rain is possible across the Texas Gulf Coast due to the slow-moving nature of the storm. Sustained winds of 115 mph with gusts potentially approaching 140 mph are now expected across wide swaths of the Texas Gulf Coast.

cone graphic — The NHC 10 am CDT update depicting the potential path and intensity of Harvey over the next several days.

The 12 UTC NAM 3km computer model currently depicts a massive, dangerous storm making landfall in Texas tomorrow afternoon.

For more information, consult The National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov as well as The National Weather Service at http://www.weather.gov.

Hurricane Matthew Expected to Slam Florida

October 5, 2016October 12, 2016Posted in Major Storm, Tropical CyclonesTagged Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Matthew Expected to Slam Florida, Hurricane Warnings, Landfall Imminent, Major Hurricane, Major US Impacts, Potential for Significant Damage, Storm Surge Threat, US Landfall ImminentLeave a comment

The category 3 Hurricane Matthew has prompted tropical storm watches, tropical storm warnings, hurricane watches, and hurricane warnings for nearly the entire state. Winds in excess of 100 mph may be expected across large swaths of the Southeast from southern Florida to South Carolina in the coming days.

[Image of probabilities of 34-kt winds] — NHC Tropical Storm Force Winds Probabilities for Hurricane Matthew.

Millions have been ordered to evacuate from the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The time is NOW to prepare for the storm. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE STORM STARTS TO PREPARE. Hurricane Matthew is an extremely dangerous and life threatening storm, and potential impacts to The US and The Bahamas may be comparable to that of Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

*Hurricane Matthew is an extremely dangerous storm, it is highly recommended to prepare and evacuate as ordered by your local governments should they do so. Please consult The National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov for more info.*

Hurricane Matthew Bears Down on Caribbean, Poses Threat to US

October 3, 2016October 3, 2016Posted in Major Storm, Tropical CyclonesTagged Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Matthew Bears Down on Caribbean Poses Threat to US, Hurricane Warnings, Hurricane Watches, Major Hurricane, Potential for Significant Damage, Potential Landfall, Potential US Landfall, Storm Surge PotentialLeave a comment

The monster category 4 Hurricane Matthew is now beginning its path of destruction as it nears the northern Caribbean Islands. Up to over a foot of rain is expected over a wide swath of Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica, creating the possibility for mudslides and flash flooding.

The National Hurricane Center has forecasted the storm to barrel through The Caribbean and The Bahamas before potentially impacting the US.

Hurricane conditions can be expected across Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and all of Haiti over the next 48 hours, and hurricane conditions are increasingly likely for large swaths of the Bahamas as well as The Turks and Caicos.

After about 72 hours out, the forecast becomes a bit less certain, as it begins to be reliant on, multiple factors, for now, we’ll focus on two.

Factor 1: The low pressure system in the Pacific Northwest is weaker than expected, meaning that once it reaches Hurricane Matthew on the East Coast (if at all), it will not be able to slingshot the storm away from the coast as previously thought.

Factor 2: The high pressure system in the Atlantic is much more dominant than expected, indicating that it may act as a block in Matthew’s path, forcing it much, much closer to the coast, as reflected in last night’s shift in the spaghetti model plots.

Category 5 Hurricane Matthew may Impact US, but Uncertainty Remains

October 1, 2016October 1, 2016Posted in Major Storm, Tropical CyclonesTagged category 5 hurricane, Hurricane Matthew, Major Hurricane, Potential for Significant Damage, Potential Landfall, Potential US Landfall, Tropical CycloneLeave a comment

Hurricane Matthew, now a category 5 storm with winds in excess of 160 mph, is well on its way through the Caribbean, but is expected to take a sharp northerly turn sometime over the next 24 hours.

Current Rainbow Top Infrared Satellite view of Hurricane Matthew provided by the NOAA.

Hurricane Matthew is now, (unofficially as of 7:oo am 10/1/16), a category 5 hurricane, with winds in excess of 155 mph. Overnight, some interesting shifts in the computer models, a the NAVGEM as well as the GFS now point to a potentially devastating storm in the Northeast US sometime over the next week, on the other hand, the ECMWF has held firm in its ‘out to sea’ stance. There will be some interesting things to look for come the 12z run (by about 2:00 pm Eastern Time), so we’ll keep you updated.

Major Hurricane Matthew Taking Aim at Carribean

September 30, 2016September 30, 2016Posted in Major Storm, Tropical CyclonesTagged Category 4 Hurricane, Hurricane, Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Warnings, Hurricane Watches, HWRF, Major Hurricane, Potential Landfall, Potential US LandfallLeave a comment

Hurricane Matthew, now a major hurricane, has undergone rapid intensification over the past 24 hours. The National Hurricane Center has posted Hurricane Watches for Jamaica, as the storm is expected to make landfall there as a category three storm in a few days. After making landfall in Jamaica and traversing Cuba, Matthew is expected to reemerge over The Bahamas as a strong category 2 or weak category 3 storm.

Pictured above is the HWRF computer model simulated Infrared Satellite image for Wednesday October 5. This image was provided by Tropicaltidbits.com.

As far as forecasting the track and intensity of Matthew after this point, not much can be said besides that the storm will either skim the Southeast’s coast before turning out to sea, or the storm will ride parallel near to the coast all the way up to Canada. Either way, Hurricane Matthew poses a serious threat to life and property in locations ranging from the Caribbean to the Eastern Seaboard. More updates will be available here, and on our Facebook page over the following several days, but for official information, please consult The National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov.

Hurricane Matthew.gif — Above is The National Hurricane Center’s projected path for Hurricane Matthew over the next 5 days. Hurricane watches are currently posted for all of Jamaica.

TROPICAL STORM JOAQUIN TO STRENGTHEN AND IMPACT THE EAST COAST

September 30, 2015Posted in Major Storm, Tropical CyclonesTagged connecticut, Delaware, East Coast Landfall, Hurricane Joaquin, Major Hurricane, Maryland, New England, New Jersey, new york, New York City Metro Area, NHC Track, Rapid Strengthening, Rhode Island, Tropical Storm Joaquin, Virginia, Weather360Leave a comment

Overnight: Hurricane Warnings and Watches has been issued for The Bahamas, as Tropical Storm Joaquin is expected to strengthen to a hurricane shortly and impact The Bahamas over the next two to three days. The NHC track has also shifted to the west, with a track that has Hurricane Joaquin impacting The East Coast anywhere from New Jersey to Rhode Island this coming Monday or Tuesday.

Everyone from Virginia to Rhode Island should continue to monitor this storm and be prepared for every scenario for your area. Now is the time to make sure you have what you need in the event a hurricane impacts you.

The Models:

The current most popular trend with some of the more major, long range computer models, all try to bring this storm into locations just south of Delaware, but other major computer models such as the ECMWF and the TVCN (The most popular among the NHC) suggest a more easterly track, which will likely shift the current general trend back up to the north and east once more, but yet again, we can not predict this with 100% accuracy, for this storm has been rapidly strengthening so much, every single computer model seems to shift in every which direction every model run…

We’ll continue to monitor the storm for you – Weather360 9/30/15